What is Data Residency?

Data residency refers to the physical or geographic location where data is stored and processed. Many regulations and organizational policies require data to remain within specific jurisdictions, often for privacy, security, or sovereignty reasons.

Why Data Residency Matters

Regulatory Compliance

GDPR (EU data in EU)
Data localization laws
Industry-specific requirements
Government regulations

Data Sovereignty

National security concerns
Legal jurisdiction
Government access rights
Cross-border transfer rules

Business Requirements

Customer contracts
Industry standards
Risk management
Performance optimization

Key Considerations

Storage Location

Primary data center location
Backup and DR sites
Cloud region selection

Processing Location

Where data is computed
Analytics processing
AI/ML training locations

Transit Paths

Data transfer routes
Network paths
CDN locations

Challenges

Multi-cloud complexity
Global operations
Evolving regulations
Cost implications
Performance trade-offs

Solutions

Region-specific deployments
Data localization features
Contractual guarantees
Technical controls
Audit and monitoring